Apparatus for the electromagnetic control of skis



May 17, 1966 P. E. WREN 3,251,607

APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTROL OF SKIS Filed July 9, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR PAUL E. WREN May 17, 1966 P. E. WREN 3,251,607

APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTROL OF SKIS Filed July 9, 1963 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR PAUL E. WREN 3,251,607 APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTROL OF SKIS Paul E. Wren, 7717 Lake View Drive, Falls Church, Va. Filed July 9, 1963, Ser. No. 293,701 Claims. (Cl. 280--11.35)

The invention at hand concerns method and apparatus for the controlled binding of one articles to another. Specifically, this application describes novel method and apparatus for electromagnetically controlling skis and for attaching shoes to other objects, more particularly skis.

Historically, while skiing is a dangerous sport, most of the hazards arise as a result of falls which are accompanied by the non-release of bindings. Great leverage of a ski applies exceptional force through the fixed boot to the ankle of leg of its wearer. Often, the extreme force is suflicient to break bones, sprain ligaments or strain muscles.

Great improvements in the are of the ski bindings have reduced the number of ski casualities from that which might be expected in the absence of safety bindings. The problem has no been fully solved, however, because most bindings do not allow equal break away freedom in every direction. Moreover, diiferent forms of skiing require special binding consideration. Cross country, downhill, slalom, expert and novice skiing severally impose individual binding requirements. Not finding the precise control desired in existing safety bindings, some experts fully abandon caution and, trusting in their own prowess for safety, lash their boots to skis with thong bindings.

United States Patent 0 This invention provides a novel magnetic binding that has full freedom of motion with equal break away protection in all directions. Both heel and toe are held by the same binding, providing heretofore unknown equal protection for all vulnerable areas of the lower leg, ankle and foot. Moreover, the strength of the binding is completely and easily adjusted by switches at the power packs. Using this invention the same set of bindings will be equally valuable to the novice or expert; the same bindings will be useful in sport or competition skiing.

One object of this invention is the provision of magnetic ski bindings; another object it to provide electromagnetic bindings. Further objectives are the introduction of skis and boots or a combination thereof having electromagnets and self-contained power sources to adjust the magnets.

Further objectives of this invention will be apparent from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is. an elevation of a boot, demonstrating a suggested location of the power source;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a ski, showing an electromagnetic binding and its attached power source;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of a ski boot, which may be the boot shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a ski, showing a modification of an electromagnetic binding;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom View of a boot to be used with the ski shown in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a ski having a magnet with a permeable core;

FIGURE 7 is the bottom view of .a boot, having a permeable core, for cooperation with the binding of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 illustrates a multiple pole binding;

FIGURE 9 suggests a cooperating multiple pole boot bottom;

FIGURES 10 and 11 illustrate polarized magnetic apparatus for the parallel control of skis.

Referring to the drawing, a basic inductive ski-boot binding is shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3. Coil is recessed medially in ski 100. Leads 112 from each end of the coil pass through the ski and emerge adjacent nickel-cadmium battery pack 120, which supplys a voltage on coil 110. The amount of applied voltage is adjusted by potentiometer control 122. Battery pack is mounted on ski 100 immediately to the rear of the boot engaging area and is there secured by strap 130, which extends through loop 126 atop the battery pack, and which is secured at its ends by ski-mounted catches 132 and 134.

As best shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, looped coil 160, which is equidimensional to coil 110, is recessed in the bottom or sole 152 of boot 150. Insulated Wires 162 and 164 extend laterally through openings 153 in the sole, emerge on its exterior side, or the side away from the instep, and plug into battery pack 170, which is mounted by strap 180 on the exterior side of boot 150. In a manner similar to the operation of the ski field power control 122, the strength of the magnetic field created by coil is controlled by adjustng potentiometer 172. Battery pack is removably mounted on conventional ski boot 150 by strap 180, which extends through boot loops 156 and 158 (FIGURE 3).

- The strength of each magnetic field and accordingly, the strength of their mutual influence can be controlled by moving potentiometer dials 122 or 172 on the ski or boot. Accordingly, the binding will offer the desired degree of attraction and consequent break away upon adjustment.

Preferably the ski and boot are held against planar movement by a raised sixteenth inch bead forming the outline of the boot sole on the ski. Alternatively the sole and its corresponding ski surface may be roughened.

FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate a variation of the apparatus shown in FIGURES l and 3. Coils, generally indicated by the numeral 210 and serially connected as illustrated at 217, are recessed medially at 215 in the ski 200. The toe portion 216 has fewer windings or turns than the heel portion 218, upon which greater separating forces are concentrated and which physiologically withstand greater stress.

Voltage is supplied to coils 210 from the rear mounted battery pack 220 by the leads 212 and 214, the bias of which is controlled by potentiometer 222. Individual voltage drops across coils 216 and 218 are, of course, proportional to the number of turns therein.

Boot 250 is substantially the same as conventional boot 150, having a nickel-cadmium power supply strapped on its upper portion. Recessed in the sole of the boot are series connected coils 266 and 268, which cooperate with corresponding heel and toe coils on the ski.

While it is not necessary that the number of turns in each corresponding boot and ski coil be the same, efficient operation suggests that the ratio of turns in heel and toe coils be the same in the boot as it is on the ski.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate a third embodiment of this invention in which recessed coil 310 encompasses permable core 311 midway on ski 300. Leads 312 connect coil 310 and power supply 320, the output of which is controlled by potentiometer 322. Battery pack 320 is lashed to ski 300 by strap 330 which terminates in ski fixtures 332 and 334. Boot 350 is a conventional ski boot having a recessed permeable plate 360 located contrally in the boot sole.

Refering to FIGURES 8 and 9, ski 400 is equipped with recssed radiant pole electromagnets 416 and 418, having given' numbers of poles. In the present case each magnet has four external poles. The magnets Patented May 17, 1966 are serially connected by wires 412, 415 and 417 to power pack 420, which includes'potentiometer 422 for the control of its output. Boot 450 includes electromagnets 466 and 468, serially connected as illustrated at 465 and 467 which respectively correspond with ski mounted electromagnets 416 and 418. Insulated leads 462 emerge from the edge of the sole and extend into a potentiometer-controlled, boot-mounted power supply, such as that shown in FIGURE 1. Adjusting the potentiometer controls the mutual attraction of ski and boot to the degree desired for the type of skiing to be undertaken FIGURES and 11 illustrate a variation of my electromagnetic control for skis, in which battery pack 510 operates through vibrator type control circuit 520 to intermittently supply voltage of successively alternated polarity to ganged forward coils 530 and after coils 540. Potentiometers 512 and 514 control the bias on each of the magnets. Companion ski'550 has permanent magnets 562, 564, 566 and 568 mounted thereon at intervals corresponding to the electromagnets 530 and 540, mounted on ski 500.

Intermittent pulsing in reversed polarity controls the parallel relation of the skis while maintaining their separation. An alternate apparatus may be constructed using more or less electromagnets or replacing the permanent magnets of ski 550 with pulsed electromagnets.

The invention has been described by way of example rather than limitation. Thus, it will be apparent that one skilled in the art may employ other embodiments of the disclosure without departing from the scope of this invention. Thus, electromagnetic footholds in objects other than skis are herein included.

I claim:

1. A boot and ski combination comprising: self-contained, electric power producing means carried by said combination; manually adjustable control means connected to said power producing means for producing a controlled output voltage; wire coil means carried by said ski and electrically connected to said control means whereby said coil means produces electromagnetic influence of controlled magnitude; external means acted on by said electromagnetic influence, said external means being associated with said boot and holding the same in engagement with said ski with a holding force proportional to the magnitude of the electromagnetic influence.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said external means includes wire coil means carried by said boot and disposed in opposed relationship to the coil means carried by said ski when said boot an ski are in engagement, said apparatus including means electrically connecting power means with the wire coil means carried by said boot.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the coil means carried by the ski includes at least two coils spaced apart along the length of the ski so as to be disposed opposite the heel and sole of the boot when the boot member and ski are in engagement, said coils being serially connected and containing different numbers of turns whereby the holding force at the .sole and heel of the boot are different.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said external means associated with said boot includes a first coil associated with the heel of the boot and a second coii associated with the sole of the boot, said first and second coils being serially connected and containing diflerent numbers of coils, said apparatus further including means electrically connecting said electric power producing means with the wire coil means carried by said boot.

5. Apparatus for releaseably securing a boot to a ski comprising: a source of electric power carried by said ski; manually adjustable control means carried by said ski and connected to said power source for producing a controlled output voltage; wire coil means carried by said skit and electrically connected to said control means whereby said coil means produces electro-magnetic influence, said coil means including at least two coils spaced apart along the length of said ski so as to be disposed opposite the heel and sole of said boot when said boot and ski are'in engagement, the forwardmost coil having a fewer number of turns than the other coil and being serially connected therewith; a source of electric power carried by said boot; manually adjustable control means connected to said power source for producing a controlled output voltage; wire coil means carried by said boot and electrically connected to the control means carried by said boot whereby said coil means produces electromagnetic influence, said coil means including a first coil associated with the heel of said boot and a second coil associated with the sole of said boot, the sole coil having a fewer number of turns and being serially connceted with the heel coil.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,672,700 6/1928 Vass 280-1131 2,276,826 3/1942 Crowther 280-1135 2,625,405 1/1953 Staff 280-1137 2,709,603 5/1955 Osmun 280-1137 2,948,971 8/1960 Schlecter et a1. 36-1 X 2,965,982 12/1960 Safiir 36-1 X 3,041,743 7/1962 Monsma 36-1 3,165,328 1/1965 Malone 280-1135 A. HARRY LEVY, Primary Examiner.

MILTON L. SMITH, BENJAMIN HERSH, Examiners. 

1. A BOOT AND SKI COMBINATION COMPRISING: SELF-CONTAINED, ELECTRIC POWER PRODUCING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID COMBINATION; MANUALLY ADJUSTABLE CONTROL MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID POWER PRODUCING MEANS FOR PRODUCING A CONTROLLED OUTPUT VOLTAGE; WIRE COIL MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SKI AND ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL MEANS WHEREBY SAID COIL MEANS PRODUCES ELECTROMAGNETIC INFLUENCE OF CONTROLLED MAGNITUDE; EXTERNAL MEANS ACTED ON BY SAID ELECTROMAGNETIC INFLUENCE, SAID EXTERNAL MEANS BEING ASSOCIATED WITH SAID BOOT AND HOLDING THE SAME IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SKI WITH A HOLDING FORCE PROPORTIONAL TO THE MAGNITUDE OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC INFLUENCE. 